by Gary Danforth
Last Friday night, October 10, on Homecoming evening, Ron Jones’ Hoosick Falls Central School varsity football team won their fourth consecutive Class C, North division game with a convincing 27-15 victory over the Mechanicville Red Raiders. With the win, HFCS ends up 5-1 in divisional play and must await the outcome of this Friday evening’s divisional contest between home standing Schuylerville Central School and visiting Cambridge Central School to see if they can gain a portion of a divisional crown. If the visiting Indians can beat the Black Horses on their home turf, then Jones’ Panthers, having beaten Cambridge in week one, Cambridge and the Horses would all end up with 5-1 divisional records, creating a three way log jam for first place. Heading into the final weekend of regular season play, HFCS has concluded Class C play with its 5-1 record, having only lost to the Black Horses in week two. Cambridge and Schuylerville will head into their showdown with 4-1 and 5-0, records respectively.
But last Friday night the Panthers found a way to win again. HFCS forced the Raiders into a fourth and thirteen situation on its first possession. HFCS fumbled the ball back to Mechanicville on their first possession. The Raiders had also fumbled on their opening possession but managed to get their miscue back.
Mechanicville put together a ten play, 76 yard scoring drive on their second possession. The point after touchdown was no good following the seven yard David Guynup TD run to keep the Raiders ahead 6-0 late in period one.
Hoosick Falls responded with an eleven play, 91 yard scoring drive. Kevin Woods hit Alex Hansen with a pass on a fourth and goal situation at the Mechanicville six yard line to knot the score at 6-6 with 10:57 left in the opening half. Woods then hit wide out Kevin McMahon with a two point conversion pass for an 8-6 Panther lead. HFCS racked up five first downs on the drive.
The Raiders then drove to the Panther 32 yard line before giving the ball up on a fourth down incompletion. Hoosick Falls then took a 14-6 advantage when they put together a nine play, 68 yard scoring drive on their next possession. Again, the Panthers scored on a fourth down play. This time Woods hit a sliding Logan O’Brien just over the goal line in the front, right corner of the end zone for the six points. Hutton Rasmus added the point after touchdown boot as the Panthers took a 15-6 advantage with 1:54 left in the opening half.
The Panther defense, playing well all year, bottled the Raiders up at their own 46 yard line on their last possession of the opening half.
HFCS couldn’t move the ball on its first two possessions of the second half, the second coming when Mechanicville fumbled a punt back to the Panthers. Then HFCS got another possession when Rasmus intercepted a Raider pass at the Hoosick Falls thirteen yard line.
Mechanicville closed to 15-9 when they put together a six play scoring drive capped by a 40 yard field goal by Steve Chuella. It came with 1:02 remaining in period three.
Hoosick Falls came right back. O’Brien returned the ensuing kickoff 85 yards for a TD. O’Brien momentarily mishandled the return, went up the middle, cut to the left sideline and was gone for the touchdown. The point after touchdown was errant as the score remained 21-9 in favor of Hoosick Falls with :47 left in period three.
Mechanicville came right back at Hoosick Falls, scoring on an eight play, 73 yard drive. The Raiders connected on an eight yard scoring pass with 9:22 left in the game. The score remained that way.
HFCS couldn’t move the ball on its next possession, and after the Panther defense stopped Mechanicville again, O’Brien returned a Raider punt to the Mechanicville 17 yard line. Four plays later, Woods scored on a one yard run to put HFCS ahead 27-15 with 1:34 to be played. A potential two point conversion run by HFCS was stuffed by the Raiders, but Hoosick Falls went on to record their 27-15 win. Under the Goalposts: In other Class C action Cambridge gave up a lot of yards but outscored Corinth 28-12. If Schuylerville gets inside the Indian twenty yard line they literally have the horses to score. But Cambridge is a much improved team from when HFCS beat them in week one. I’m picking Schuylerville to win the game, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Cambridge won or if the game was decided by a touchdown or less. If Schuylerville wins big, they will prove to be the class of the North division teams. On second thought, I’ll take Cambridge in a mild upset. But, Schuylerville is no Corinth. If the Horses get close to the goal line they won’t leave points off the scoreboard as Corinth did against Cambridge.
This Friday night HFCS travels to Cobleskill-Richmondville in a non-divisional, Class C-B match up. The trip is 75 miles one way and Hoosick Falls has traveled an average of 48 miles for its away games at Schuylerville, Corinth, Granville and Cobleskill. Sectional parings will be out early next week, maybe Sunday night. It will be tough for HFCS to garner a home Class C opening round game.